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News Release Information

24-2139-PHI
Thursday, October 10, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area – September 2024

Area prices were up 0.3 percent over the past 2 months, up 2.6 percent from a year ago.

Prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 0.3 percent over the 2 months ending in September 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the September increase was mostly due to a 0.6-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index, in large part due to rising shelter prices. For the same period, the energy index declined 3.7 percent while the food index fell 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U index advanced 2.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Leading the increase was the all items less food and energy index, up 3.1 percent. Food prices rose 3.0 percent while energy prices were down 4.7 percent over the year, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices decreased 0.1 percent for the 2-month period ending in September. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home were down 0.2 percent in the same period. Leading the decrease in the grocery index were prices for other food at home (-1.4 percent), followed by fruits and vegetables (-1.9 percent) and cereals and bakery products (-1.7 percent). An increase in prices for meats, poultry, fish and eggs (+1.8 percent), dairy and related products (+2.5 percent) and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (+1.8 percent) slightly lessened the decline of prices in the food at home index. Prices for food away from home rose 0.1 percent.

Over the year, food prices rose 3.0 percent, with prices for food away from home up 3.8 percent. Prices for food at home were up 2.4 percent. Within food at home, the 4.8 percent increase in the meats, poultry, fish and eggs index marked the index’s largest over the year increase since January 2023. Prices for the cereals and bakery products and other food at home indexes increased 5.2 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Tempering the food at home index were decreasing prices for fruits and vegetables, down 0.6 percent.

Energy

The energy index fell 3.7 percent for the 2 months ending in September, marking the largest decrease since the year began. The decrease was mainly due to falling prices for gasoline (-9.0 percent) and natural gas service (-7.2 percent). For the same period, electricity prices advanced 4.2 percent.

Energy prices decreased 4.7 percent over the year. The decline in the energy index was largely due to lower prices for gasoline, down 12.9 percent. Offsetting the energy index decline were higher prices for electricity and utility (piped) gas service, up 4.6 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

In the latest 2-month period, the index for all items less food and energy rose 0.6 percent. The overall index rise was led by higher prices for shelter (+0.9 percent), medical care (+3.0 percent) and apparel (+4.1 percent). Within the shelter index, prices rose for the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index (+1.0 percent) and rent of primary residence index (+0.9 percent). Partially moderating the all items less food and energy index were lower prices for household furnishings and operations (-1.2 percent), new and used motor vehicles (-0.5 percent), and education and communication (-0.7 percent).

For the year ending in September, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.1 percent. Components contributing to the rise were higher prices for shelter (+3.7 percent), recreation (+7.8) and medical care (+3.5). Within the shelter index, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index was up 4.7 percent and the index for rent of primary residence advanced 4.8 percent. Tempering the overall index in part were price declines in the new and used motor vehicles index (-2.1 percent) due to decreasing prices for used cars and trucks, down -3.8 percent, marking the 12th month of consecutive price decreases. New vehicle prices declined -2.0 percent. Since March 2024 new vehicle prices have declined by 0.9 percent or more over the year. The household furnishings and operations index decreased 1.4 percent in the same period.

Table A. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20202021202220232024
2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month

January

0.51.60.71.50.96.0-0.34.40.53.6

March

-0.40.40.72.61.97.31.33.71.03.4

May

0.1-0.11.33.81.57.50.93.10.83.3

July

0.60.81.24.41.17.5-0.11.80.23.7

September

0.61.20.74.5-0.26.51.33.30.32.6

November

0.01.41.25.80.35.6-0.32.8

The November 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area is scheduled to be released on December 11, 2024.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Consumer Price Index for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is published bi-monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a much smaller sample size than the national or regional indexes and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local-area indexes are more volatile than the national or regional indexes. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Core Based Statistical Area includes the District of Columbia; the counties of Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s in Maryland; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; and the county of Jefferson in West Virginia.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
Historical
data
Jul.
2024
Aug.
2024
Sep.
2024
Sep.
2023
Jul.
2024
Aug.
2024

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0
316.445 317.3822.60.3 

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF
311.808 311.7273.00.0 

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF1
321.240 321.0713.0-0.1 

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF11
299.046298.894298.5162.4-0.2-0.1

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF111
425.096417.249417.6925.2-1.70.1

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF112
314.830310.978320.5084.81.83.1

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEFJ
282.606288.454289.7372.22.50.4

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF113
299.466299.223293.807-0.6-1.9-1.8

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF114
261.057267.916265.7662.31.8-0.8

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF115
256.337256.220252.7521.7-1.4-1.4

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEFV
352.198 352.5413.80.1 

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAF116
223.932 224.5372.90.3 

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH
330.069 332.6713.20.8 

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH1
394.249396.463397.9853.70.90.4

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHA
425.189426.898429.0334.80.90.5

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHC
405.976408.044410.1424.71.00.5

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHC01
405.976408.044410.1424.71.00.5

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH2
291.292 295.0883.51.3 

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH21
230.212231.010233.6103.51.51.1

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHF
237.980238.233241.5114.41.51.4

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHF01
262.793266.375273.8484.64.22.8

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEHF02
173.073166.341160.6613.8-7.2-3.4

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAH3
130.870 129.359-1.4-1.2 

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAA
161.928 168.6310.34.1 

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAT
276.459 271.436-0.6-1.8 

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAT1
289.983 284.085-0.8-2.0 

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETA
127.059 126.372-2.1-0.5 

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETA01
228.238 227.225-2.0-0.4 

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETA02
394.412 391.323-3.8-0.8 

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETB
335.369325.885305.162-12.9-9.0-6.4

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASETB01
330.575321.235300.796-12.9-9.0-6.4

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASS47014
322.600313.023292.284-13.4-9.4-6.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASS47015
342.223334.017317.234-10.1-7.3-5.0

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASS47016
357.860350.811333.795-9.4-6.7-4.9

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAM
518.512 533.8693.53.0 

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAR
135.873 135.8257.80.0 

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAE
170.358 169.2410.3-0.7 

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASEEB
1,698.514 1,706.6791.40.5 

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAG
531.492 528.2554.4-0.6 

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAC
216.766 214.311-0.5-1.1 

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASACL11
170.392 167.200-2.8-1.9 

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASANL11
226.293 222.238-1.5-1.8 

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAD
119.367 117.030-4.2-2.0 

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAS
405.863 410.2214.41.1 

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0L2
284.217 283.9372.0-0.1 

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0L5
306.966 307.2592.50.1 

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASACL1
172.596 169.556-2.6-1.8 

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASAN
267.927 265.8091.1-0.8 

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASANL1
225.420 221.834-1.2-1.6 

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASASL2RS
431.555 436.8655.11.2 

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASASL5
394.479 397.7394.40.8 

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0E
282.851279.402272.398-4.7-3.7-2.5

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0LE
323.327 325.0493.10.5 

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS35ASA0L1E
325.006 327.0403.10.6 

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a November 1977=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024